Benecio Del Toro on Sicario sequel: Was skeptical, changed my mind after reading Day of the Soldado script

Oscar-winner Benecio Del Toro has revealed that he was initially "skeptical" about doing Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

The 51-year-old actor said he, however, changed his mind after reading the film's script, penned by Taylor Sheridan. "When we got the word they were planning to do a sequel, I was skeptical," Del Toro told Variety.

"When I got Taylor's script, it was original, unpredictable and truthful. As I was reading it there were a lot of 'oh s**t' moments. The character evolves and this journey brings humanity back to the character. I thought that was an interesting way to make a character change. And it seemed believable. It's also a throwback to the movies I grew up liking," he added.

Benecio del Toro and Josh Brolin in a scene from the film, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is the sequel to Denis Villeneuve's 2015 thriller Sicario. Del Toro reprises his role as Alejandro Gillick. He is hired again by CIA operative Matt Graver, portrayed by Josh Brolin, to incite war between rival cartels by kidnapping Isabela Reyes, the daughter of drug lord Carlos Reyes. But when mission goes awry, Graver orders him to kill Isabela. Gillick refuses and finds himself in a new mission to protect the girl.

The new film, directed by Stefano Sollima of Suburra-fame, also stars Jeffrey Donovan, Isabela Moner, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Catherine Keener.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado, produced by Black Label Media, will hit theatres on 29 June.